Bad contracts. We've shed some of them, will shed more after this season and even more after next season (except for TT). That's the only explanation for this debacle imo.

I can think of one more reason. There is obviously something inherent in the team/mgmt/ownership that saps the morale and motivation from our best players. They start off like gang-busters, slowly lose their will to play/win, get traded to other teams and then take off like gangbusters again. Whatever it is that saps the will of the players is some kind of intangible that I can't' grasp nor describe.